User:Mr. Ibrahem/Coccidioidomycosis

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever, is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides. Symptoms typically include cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, rash, and muscle pain. Onset is typically 1 to 3 weeks after exposure. Complications may include long term long problems or meningitis.

Specifically it is due to Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii. Generally infections occurs due to breathing in airborne spores after soil in which they occur is disturbed. It does not typically spread between people. Rarely it may spread as a result of contact with a contaminated object or organ transplantation. Risk factors include diabetes, pregnancy, and other causes of poor immune function. Diagnosis may be confirmed based on blood tests for specific antibodies or urine antigen tests.

Most people get better without any specific treatment within weeks to months. Those who are at high risk or have severe disease are generally treated with antifungal medication, with 3 to 6 months of fluconazole typically used. Generally it occurs at most once. Prevention is by avoiding dusty places or wearing an N95 facemask. There is no currently available vaccine.

About 20,000 cases occurred in the Southwestern United States in 2019, with the disease also being relatively common in parts of Mexico, Central, and South America. In the United States it most commonly occurs in Arizona and California; though their are also cases in Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Utah. It most commonly affects those over the age of 60. It is a relatively common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in these areas. In 1977, a windstorm in Arvin, California led to several hundred cases in an areas hundreds of miles away, which typically does not see the disease. Other animals may also be affected.